The Oaks Stud enjoy a successful Easter weekend

The Oaks Stud general manager Rick Williams is hoping for a few more weekends like Easter weekend after a couple of smart Oaks bred winners and a new stakes winner for Darci Brahma.

At Hastings over the weekend, Five To Midnight(AUS) (Domesday[AUS]-Fastnet Lady[AUS]), bred by The Oaks won the listed Hawkes Bay Gold Cup and Bonniegirl (Darci Brahma – Electricity), a daughter of resident stallion Darci Brahma, took out the listed NZB Sprint. In Melbourne Apache Cat lookalike Miss Vista(AUS) (Show A Heart[AUS]- Cape Tycoon[AUS]) staked her claim as a smart sprinter when winning over 1200 metres at Caulfield.

"I could get used to weekends like that, Five To Midnight's win was well deserved and Bonniegirl is a very smart mare. Miss Vista was impressive and now we can make some plans for her going forward," said Williams.

A four-year-old by the Red Ransom(AUS) sire Domesday(AUS), Five To Midnight is now the winner of five races and scored this win on the back of placings in the Gr.2 Avondale Cup, Awapuni Cup, Gr.3 Manawatu Cup, City of Auckland Cup and the listed Feilding Cup. As a three-year-old he was second in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic and the listed St Leger.

He is the first foal from the Fastnet Rock(AUS) mare Fastnet Lady who was purchased by The Oaks, as a racehorse.

"Fastnet Lady was owned by a client of Graeme Sanders, who became ill and wanted to quit his bloodstock, and was placed a couple of times,"said Williams.

"I sent her to Australia to race, and she won a couple of races, and then got injured. I was keen on Domesday so I mated her over there and bought her home. He was a stunning looking horse, a K2 colt, and he was the subject of a big bidding dual and Lisa Latta's man Kevin Pratt won out in the end at $165,000".

"We have a two-year-old filly by Roc de Cambes in work with Stephen Marsh and we got $135,000 for the Bachelor Duke(USA) yearling and we have a nice Roc de Cambes weanling filly and she is back in foal to him. She looks like she is shaping up to be a good producer".

"I think Five To Midnight is impressive and can run on anything, he was due his good win and its good for Kevin Pratt and Kamada Racing to get the Hawkes Bay Cup, Pratt invests so much into our industry".

Fastnet Lady is out of the Fusaichi Pegasus mare In Essence who is a three-quarter sister to Bonaichi, and traces back to the Bletchingly(AUS) mare St Klaire who in turn was the dam of the Group One winners Bonanova, Fraternity and Telesto.

"I was very happy to see Darci a get another stakes winner ,he has had a very quiet season. Bonniegirl is a really talented filly and always goes well fresh, she is a little bit unsound, but pretty smart. I am sure that Murray (Baker) will manage her and get the best out of her."

Bonniegirl was bred by Sydney based Dr Peter Chen, from the Geiger Counter(USA) mare Electricity. She is a half-sister to the stakes winners Mr Bureaucrat and All Black Gold and won five races before going to stud. She is the dam of two other winners including the Gr.3 winner So Wotif, and Dr Chen has her last foal, a two-year-old Pins(AUS) filly in work with the Baker/Forsman stable as well.

Following her very impressive win at Caulfield, The Oaks have big plans for Miss Vista, and it's possible that New Zealanders may get to see the striking mare run here over summer. A winner of four races in Melbourne she looks a bit like she dipped her head in a pot of white paint and then tipped it all over her legs.

"She will head to Sydney now, and then go to Queensland for a crack at the Lightning. I am quite keen to bring her over to New Zealand next summer and have a crack at the Railway and the Telegraph before she takes on the good fast Group One sprinters in Australia," he said.

"She can run in the Railway and not be re-handicapped for the Telegraph because of the special conditions. We can give her a chance in New Zealand and I am sure she would attract a lot of attention here".

"I was a bit worried when she came out looking like an Apache Cat lookalike, we are not sure where all that white comes from," he added, "but it doesn't stop her from running." - Michelle Saba